1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved tool for manipulating a cable, and in particular to an improved apparatus and method for blindly inserting, extracting, and manipulating a cable with respect to another cable or a connector within an enclosure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data storage drives, such as data tape drives, record information to and read information from media, such as the data tape of a tape cartridge. Data storage drives are often used in conjunction with, for example, a data storage and retrieval system. One example of such a system is an automated library with robotic picking devices, wherein removable media cartridges are selectively transported between storage cells and media drives in an automated environment. Herein, automated data storage library, data storage and retrieval system, data storage and retrieval library, automated library, and library may all be used interchangeably.
The data storage drives that are removable during operation in the library or peripheral systems environment are sometimes referred to as “hot-pluggable.” A data storage drive is typically mounted in a canister that is located within the library or system in order to facilitate its hot-plugging and unplugging. In some types of applications, the canister may have extra space within its enclosure for additional equipment besides the data storage drive. For example, the space may be used for additional ventilation or other functions. Although this space is useful for these purposes, it creates a problem in that the extra space or distance makes it difficult to access the data storage drive for the purposes of data connection and/or power connections. Although it is conceivable to solve this problem by using a “pigtail,” e.g., a short cable assembly internal to the canister that extends to the exterior of the canister (i.e., beyond the back end), this solution is expensive. Such a pigtail would connect to the data storage drive and the host. Thus, an improved solution is needed to provide access to the data storage drive by the host so that an expensive pigtail is not needed.